


Sleep

by thegreatandpowerfultoaster



Series: Leap For Science [1]
Category: Portal (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, For once no angst with this ship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-20
Updated: 2018-07-20
Packaged: 2019-06-13 08:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15360696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thegreatandpowerfultoaster/pseuds/thegreatandpowerfultoaster
Summary: " I haven’t slept in four days… ” with Caveline.





	Sleep

Not to say that Cave doesn’t like the long hours sitting in his office and working through the budgets by hand with his lively secretary, because he really does, but he is at wits end here. If he maybe had any to begin with.

It started out as a habit in the early days of the company, and they just never quit doing it, because it was relaxing. As relaxing as math could get, anyways. Which was more than Cave had originally expected.

So even thought this is a treasured tradition, and it sure would be rude to leave Caroline to do it all by herself, he just can’t tonight. “I haven’t slept in four days,” he announces, and she looks up from the stack of papers on her lap through her glasses that she only wears during budget-checking-night.

(She won’t wear them anywhere else though, although he’s tried to convince her. They’re cute, and she’s cute and he really shouldn’t be thinking these sorts of things about her. Not Caroline).

“Did you say something, sir? Sorry, I was trying to figure out what happened in the Geology Department.”

“I’m tired,” he tells her. “Let’s do this tomorrow, and then you can go home too, alright kid?”

She looks almost horrified, and he cannot for the life of him figure out why. “Actually, Mr. Johnson we need to have this figured out by tonight…the board meeting tomorrow and well…”

Now usually, he’d argue. He’s the boss of this company and he’ll do whatever he pleases, especially if that includes going home and to bed. But Caroline’s pretty good at not telling him what to do or how to do it. So if she says they need it done tonight, well-Cave’s just gonna have to give up sleep for another night. “Fine, fine,” he grumbles. “I’m moving to the couch though, and you’re welcome to join.”

Out of the corner of his eye he sees her smile, even a little more than her usual polite smile. They settle down next to one another on the couch in the corner of his office, shoulders barely brushing. Cave starts to look through the papers again but doesn’t get far before he’s out cold.

Next to him, Caroline is more than understanding, the way her own brain is beginning to slow and her eyes begin to droop. But his head has fallen onto her shoulder and he’s softly snorning, and suddenly she feels like it might be a hundred degrees.

Just barely she finishes, and the clock reads 2:30 am. Part of her wonders if she should move him, or wake him up so that they can both go home, at least for a few hours, but the other part of her thinks about how comforting that soft snoring his, and how calm he is when he’s asleep and she lets that part win, and gives in to her own exhaustion.

It’s easy to pretend the next morning that nothing happened, when there’s a finished monthly budget to go over and a meeting to attend and science to do. But that doesn’t stop him from brushing his hand over here comfortably under the table at the meeting, or her from linking arms with him when they walk around the halls. It’s not something that either will admit to having, but there’s something there, and it’s good. It just took a lack of sleep for either to act.


End file.
